CIBA and CooperVision settle patent dispute

CIBA Vision has reached a global patent litigation settlement agreement with CooperVision that resolves all current patent infringement lawsuits between the two companies.

CIBA said it had licensed its 'Nicolson' patents to CooperVision, enabling both companies to move forward in bringing out new and improved innovations to meet the needs of practitioners and consumers. The patents cover high oxygen transmissible contact lenses including CIBA's Air Optix and Night & Day silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

CooperVision will pay CIBA a royalty on US net sales of its Biofinity contact lenses until 2014 and on net sales outside the US until 2016. CIBA has also licensed two patent families from CooperVision related to contact lens designs, with further terms of the agreement confidential.